


It's the grooviest thing, it's the perfect dream

by justclimbup



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, and so many cats, superpowers!au, there's an earthquake somewhere in the middle, this is so fluffly i don't know where it came from
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-29
Updated: 2015-05-29
Packaged: 2018-04-01 20:50:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4034107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justclimbup/pseuds/justclimbup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Having a shape-shifter boyfriend is the best thing ever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's the grooviest thing, it's the perfect dream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [geewhizmo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/geewhizmo/gifts).



> Title from The Lovecats from The Cure.  
> The prompt was:  
> 1.Zayn/Harry  
> a. zayn discovers he has super powers OR 1d as a team of super ppl.

The day has arrived. He knows there’s no chance he can get out of it, it’s marked on his calendar; Francis already warned him about it, if Harry doesn’t do it, Francis isn’t letting him pet him during a whole week and Louis already told him what to buy for him. It’s silly that he needs so much preparation for it, but he just, he can’t really help it.

While he’s exiting his flat, he finds Mrs Gustine in the hallway and she greets him with her blue teeth and wide dark purple eyes, a cloud of cold mist coming out of her mouth while she says “hi Harry!”. It’s definitely cold outside.

He goes downstairs and he can hear the chatter of the rats that creep between the walls, whining about the freezing weather and wondering what they are going to eat. Harry hums and knocks on the little hole next to the mail box and a lot of noise comes out of the wall. Harry tries to cover his ears with his hands but it’s useless, he can hear them in his head. Mary pops her head out, looks at Harry and goes back inside again. She yells to her colony “Jesus, calm down, it’s just Harry.” Most of the screams stop, just a couple of rats greeting Harry, and Mary comes out again, “yeah, darling?”

“It’s just, I was hearing Gustav talk about how little food you all have, so, I’m going to the café by the flower shop, and well, I can bring you some stuff?” He bites his thumbnail and tries not to get too panicky while thinking about going to the café, Louis doesn’t need that right now.

“Oh, Harry, dear, that’d be lovely! We’ll find a way to repay you, I assure you. Here Marcia just got her kids and they need feeding, so it’d be lovely to bring them some food.” Mary sniffs the air and her little whiskers move with her little nose.

“Alright, I’ll be back in a few.” He turns around and goes out. Birds chirp a friendly “hello!” They know Harry can hear them. He smiles and turns the corner, taking a deep breath and stuffing his hands in his jeans. The café is not that far, but it seems like an eternity, even with his long legs.

He passes the flower shop and he hears some white noise, the bees that live with Mr Lily have never really grasped the art of projecting their thoughts to Harry, like other animals. So while they do think, Harry can’t really hear them. Sometimes there’s the queen’s “god, not another hundred,” but it’s just that. Most insects are scared of Harry anyway.

He sighs and turns and there’s the café. It’s practically empty and there is nobody at the front counter. “Thank god, I don’t have to do it.”

 _Don’t you dare._  Even though he’s close to his building, he’s still startled from his musings by Louis voice.  _You didn’t made it that far to just give up, c’mon is not that hard, he’s friendly._  Harry sighs and his shoulders droop.

 _I know Lou, it’s just. I don’t know. It’s a little bit hard for me._  He can’t see Louis but he can practically hear him sigh and give him a sympathetic look.

 _I know Haz, but you got to try yeah? I’ll be hearing if you need me._  Harry looks down at the floor and wonders how he got so lucky to have a brother like Louis.  _Oh, stop it. You’re going to make me blush._  Harry smiles and opens the door of the café.

When he makes it inside, there are two people making a line, so he stops behind them and tries to calm himself. He breathes in and out a couple of times, looking around and trying to distract himself. By the time he’s calm enough, the other two people are already gone and there’s just Harry and  _him._ The reason he freaks out every time he comes here. He smiles in a friendly way towards Harry and he can practically hear Louis telling him  _it’s fine Harry, he’s chill and friendly_. He smiles back and steps a little further.

There are a couple of stray cats in the roof and they are just chatting about fur knots and politics, like that makes sense. “Can I offer you something?” Harry tries to keep eye contact but it’s so hard, so he just looks at the counter that holds the pastries and tries to think what Mary would like for her colony.

“Um, ten croissants with cheese, one mocha and a latte with almond milk.” He looks up and the boy is writing down his orders. He bites his lip.  _You’re doing so well. I’m so proud,_  Louis’ voice calms him further. He did it. He can pet Francis this week.

The boy goes to make the beverages and Harry looks around again. It’s a nice café, light coloured with simple furniture. “Do you want the croissants to be warmed up?” Harry looks back at him and nods. The boy goes to the pastry counter and grabs the ten croissants, putting them in a paper bag, turns around and goes towards the back.

A movement to Harry’s right catches his eye, there’s a little spider with her web, it’s so small but there’s a white noise that totally belongs to insects. He goes forward and it’s about to touch it when a voice startles him  _I wouldn’t do that if I were you, mate._  Harry takes his hand back, turns around and doesn’t see anybody, he frowns looking everywhere.

“Who?”

 _Here, in the window_. Harry looks and sure thing, there’s a cat sitting outside.  _She’s mean, she once bit Julius and almost killed him_.

“Oh. Well, I just thought she was kind of cold.” There’s not a chance that cats can snort but this one just did it.

The cat shakes its fur  _nope, I don’t think spiders can even_ feel _anything_.

“Aren’t you cold?” There’s a chance it might snow in the next few weeks and Harry always worries about stray animals.

_Yeah, kind of, I’m hungrier though._

Harry nods, “I’ll give you one of the croissants.”

 _Speaking of, there’s the boy you were talking to_ , the cat makes a weird sound, like it’s giggling or something,  _he’s looking weirdly at you._

Harry turns around and sure enough, the boy is looking at him like he’s grown another pair of arms. He bites his lip and blushes.

“Um, here’s your stuff.” Harry goes back to the counter and grabs the paper bag and the two beverages. “Were you, um,” the boy scratches his neck, looking uncomfortable, “were you speaking with the cat?”

The one shiny flaw in Harry power is the fact that he can’t push his thoughts in the animals’ minds, so instead of just thinking his side of the conversation, it seems like it’s one sided and he’s speaking alone. “Yeah,” he blushes harder and looks at his shoes.

“Oh, so you’re Louis brother?” Harry looks up in surprise and nods, “well then, this goes on the house.”

“What? Why?”

“He gave me yesterday a fifty and told me to keep the change, so instead of charging you I’m paying with that.” He shrugs like it’s not a big deal.

“I’m sure he meant it so you would have the change.” Harry puts the bag and the drinks back in the counter, already reaching back in his jeans and grabbing his wallet.

“Oh yeah, I know. It’s just, I owed him a favour and I want to pay him with that.”

“Oh, well.” He lets go of the wallet, realising that he was practically crumpling it in his grip.

“What’s your name? Louis always comes here and talks about you, but he has never told me your name.”  _That’s true, hum. It’s weird, I talk to people about you and they don’t even know your name._  Harry’s going to get a headache. Louis should give him a warning every time he’s going to make an appearance.

“I-I’m Harry.”

“Zayn.” He stretches his arm and offers his hand and Harry catches it. He looks directly at Zayn’s eyes for the first time. They’re a lovely shade of brown, his eyelashes are very long and dark and there’s a tiny little freckle in his left eye. Harry’s in love with it.

It takes them both about five minutes to realise they’re looking at each other and still holding the other’s hand. Harry stuff them in his pockets as soon as he’s free and blushes so hard he gets a little bit dizzy. Zayn plays with the ring he has in his index finger and blushes a little bit, or at least his ears blush, his skin is so lovely tanned Harry can’t tell if he’s blushing or not.  _He’s not tan, well, yes he is, but he’s half Pakistani. That’s why you can’t see him blush. It’s awful I can never see if he’s being flustered by what I tell him._  Harry  _ahh_ s and Zayn looks at him again with confusion in his eyes.

Something beeps in the back of the shop. “Ehm, I have to go back.” Zayn motions to his back.

“O-Oh, sure. Erm I-I’ll go, Louis’ starting to annoy me.” Harry points to his head and Zayn looks a little bit scared until realisation shows in his face.

“Ah, yeah, he can get into your head right?”

“Yeah, kind of, it’s very annoying.”  _EXCUSE ME_ , Harry winces.

Zayn chuckles and waves his hand “Hi Lou!”  _Harry tell Zayn hi._

“Hi.”  _That’s all you got?_  “You only told me that!”  _Whatever, hurry up it’s getting colder out._  “Sure, erm, bye Zayn.”

“Bye Harry, see ya around.” Harry nods and turns, going towards the door. The cat is still there.

“Hey, here.” Harry puts his hand in the bag and takes a croissant out putting it in the cat’s open mouth.

 _Thank you_. Harry smiles and kneels down, petting it. The cat purrs and butts its head in Harry’s hand.  _Harry, hurry up._

“Okay, okay. Bye cat.” He stands up and picks up his drinks.

_My name’s Hercules._

“Oh, I’m Harry. You have a nice name, Hercules. See you!”

He goes back to his flat, stopping in the entry of his building to give seven croissants to Mary, if he doesn’t give one to Louis he’ll probably kill him and Harry has been craving one since he smelled them. “Oh dear, you are amazing. Thank you so much.” There is a loose board in the wall and Harry pushes it away, putting the croissants inside.

He goes upstairs and Louis already has the door open. “Jesus, get inside fast, I’m freezing over here.”

“Sorry, sorry. I gave some croissants to Mary and I met a cat named Hercules.”

“Also you finally met Zayn.” Louis smirks and Francis cheers from his room. Harry smiles and blushes. “Oh, how cute. Now go get changed so I can cuddle you and not freeze to death.”

~~~

He goes back to the café, not like, everyday, like Louis hints him to do, but occasionally. He orders the same latte with almond milk and a different drink for Louis each time, along with a croissant or a baguette because Hercules has a taste for  _pain français_ , as he calls it. Apparently he lived in a boulangerie in Normandie a couple of years ago and Zayn’s croissants are the next best thing.

As for Zayn, Harry’s been feeling weirdly towards him. Not like Louis insinuates, even though he think he may have a crush on him. But in the last two times he had been there, he has heard the white noise that comes along with an insect, and there has been none that Harry could see. He hears it often, and whenever Zayn goes to the back to get another tray of baked goods, the sound follows him.

Louis knows about this because Harry was worried that in Zayn’s apron, the spider that almost killed Julius that one time, would be there. But Louis told him that when he bonded with Zayn he tried to read his thoughts and he hadn’t found anything. Like his head was empty. He tried to make him spill the secret, but Zayn had looked surprised that Louis couldn’t read his mind and simply brushed it off as joke from him. Louis didn’t persist, thinking that it would be something that came along with Zayn being one of the “unpowereds” and that he might be sensitive about it. Harry somehow ends up linking Zayn’s lack of powers with the white noise, too.

 

***

 

The wind runs free through its fur, its ears are flattened but alert and its eyes are squinted trying not to get too much dirt into them. Its paws cushion the fall from its heavy legs while it runs freely down the meadow. The feeling of freedom crosses its head and surrounds it like a warm blanket trying to protect from the cold.

A shallow pond catches its eye and it turns towards it, running still with an open mouth and a feeling of thirst that starts at the tip of its tongue before moving to its throat.

There are flashes of light in its deep grey eyes before it manages to drink the water from the pond, thirsty and hungry. Ears alert for any kind of movement in the meadow. It’s too late and most of the animals are asleep, some owls hoot from their position in the trees and some mice run freely under the fallen leafs. But it it’s not hungry for animals. It’s hungry for flesh. Human flesh.

Random flashes of memory assaults the calm thoughts of the leopard. An old lady with green hair and flower-like hands. A little kid that floats around. A man with a large beard and claws. A loud, blond teenager with wings in his back. Blue eyes and fleeting loud voices in its head.

A certain character though. His smell, his frame, his stuttering and rambling. The leopard lifts its head and looks at the moon and contemplates it. It can trace the lingering smell of the vulnerable human, with a powerful mind but a weak physique. It could turn to the little town and trace the smell. Sink its teeth into the flesh and drink his blood. It plants its paws on the floor, ready to run. But a flash of green floods its mind and then everything turns black.

~~~

Zayn wakes up in his bed, disoriented, sweating and with a headache. He moves around, trying to find a cool spot and failing miserably. He stands up and goes towards the kitchen of his little flat.

His dreams are starting to be more weird and vivid each week. The first one was just a cat running in the streets. Then, as time passed by, the felines got bigger and bigger. Now, a snow leopard is the star of his recent hallucinations, because that’s what they are. He remembers seeing a serval falling from a tree on its left arm in one of his dreams and then the next day, when he tried to lift the sack of flour from the floor, a horrible pain on his left arm made him throw the sack to the floor. He remembers that he looked at it in confusion, trying to move it and failing, the pain constricting him so much he had to take the day off.

He tries not to think about it too much, afterwards. And he actually succeeds. With the café and the clients and everything, is easier to just get lost in his job and not on the fact that is now a leopard the one that appears in his dreams. And he not only gets lost in his job, Harry seems to be over his shy cover-up and now goes to the café much more often than he used to since the first month.

It’s nice and easy, being with him. His cute little anecdotes and rants about his rat neighbours, Hercules, Louis and his various animal friends are just what Zayn needs more that once a week. And Zayn rants right back. About Niall, the winged teen that still struggles with feathers in his mouth when he wakes up; about Sammy, the little girl who discovered, in his café no less, that she could float around; about Gregory, the big, muscled man with wolf-like features, that is a big softie and has a sweet spot for mochas and pastries.

They chat a lot, randomly and eagerly. Sometimes about meaningless stuff and sometimes about very private and important stuff. Zayn has never been one to share secrets so openly, but something about Harry makes him want to spread open and share his deepest secrets.

Sometimes, after Harry leaves the café with Louis beverage and a French pastry for Hercules, he hears him talk with the cat for a little while. More often than not, the cat would look back at the café, glance at Zayn and then look back at Harry, and Harry would blush. Zayn really wants to know what Hercules tells Harry for him to blush like that.

And speaking about him, Hercules has been avoiding Zayn as much as he can. Sometimes, when Harry doesn’t show up and he’s in front of the café with a face that screams hunger, Zayn comes out and offers him a croissant. Hercules takes it but then looks at Zayn weirdly, drops the croissant from his mouth and hisses at him, takes the croissant back in his mouth and leaves with a guarded expression in his face, like somehow Zayn remembers him of some bad memory.

He tried asking Harry once, and the only answer he got was, “he once told me that you smelled weird, and that sometimes your smell scared him. Don’t ask me why ‘cause I’ve no idea.” So Hercules keeps avoiding him when Zayn doesn’t have food in his hands and he keeps being confused about the whole thing.

 

***

 

Harry has been going to the café more often. Louis teases him terribly for it but winter is nearing and his boss is giving him less time at work and staying at home is not likely. Louis got himself a boyfriend and he’s being an insufferable twat about it. They snog in the couch whenever Harry’s favourite show is on; he begs him to prepare lunch -Louis’ useless in the kitchen- because  _Liam will be over in an hour and I promised him lunch, Hazza please. I’ll give you my first born child!_ And more things that make Harry get mad at him and he hates getting mad at Louis. So he stays away from his house as much as he can.

And it’s not like he stays in the café all day. After work he goes to the library and reads zoology books and then he does go to the café, stays one or maybe two hours and then leaves.

Very deep in Harry’s mind he wishes he stayed more at the café speaking with Zayn.

After years, his whole life if you might, he developed a strategy to bury his most obscure thoughts from Louis.

It was hard at the beginning, especially because when he discovered that he could hide stuff from Louis, he was in the middle of a freak out. He sometimes banged his head against the wall to see if he could stop reading their whole family thoughts. It was hard, but mind-reading has been in his family –both maternal and paternal- for generations. One day Louis caught Harry thinking about how well he was doing hiding some things from him, and he went bonkers, yelling at him and crying and saying that Harry was lucky he didn’t have to hide from the whole world because he could hear and make himself be heard in other people’s minds without even trying.

After three years of hiding in their house and not coming out, their dad forced Louis out and told him to deal with it. That was the day Louis realised he had to bond with people before reading their minds. It was weird to see him in the house afterwards.

Harry smiles at the memory as he makes it though the door of the library. The warmth of the place welcomes him and he takes off his coat, hanging it in the hook next to the reception desk and getting Lion, the receptionist, with a silent cheer and a wave. She shakes her mane back at him and smiles.

He walks towards the nature books isle taking out Aristotle’s History of Animals, cradling it in his hands and making it towards the children area. He sits down, and after opening the book where he left it, a feather falls in it.

“Oh, crap! These things never let me scare people.” Harry smiles at the sound of the voice and turns around.

“Niall! Hi! How are you?” Niall beams and sits next to Harry in one of the bean chairs.

“I’m good, I’m good. What about you? Wait, I thought you’d be at the café, with Zaynie and everything.” Harry blushes and is about to make Niall speak more lowly before he remembers that the children area is soundproof.

“Uhm, I don’t really go there that often.” That’s a lie, that’s for sure. But he supposes that he can convince Niall like he can convince Louis.

“Are you kidding, mate?” Alright, maybe not that convincing. “I’ve seen you there practically every day.”

Before Harry can blush harder he asks, “And how would you know?” Panic settles in his belly. Maybe Zayn told Niall, maybe he even knows that Harry has a crush in him. Before he can get more frenzied about it Niall blushes and looks at the ground. And then Harry remembers that Alexa works the morning shift and smirks. “Aw, you have a crush on Alexa? That’s cute man.”

“Well, how could you not? I mean she’s really cute and her super-strength makes me all jittery inside. And seeing her every day is really exciting.” Harry chuckles and coos, making Niall blush harder before lifting an eyebrow and scanning Harry, “Well what about you? Have you told Zayn yet?”

Harry startles, “Tell him what?”

“That you’re heads over heels for him!” Niall cackles and claps Harry in the shoulder, almost sending him to the floor with the force he uses.

Harry sputters and is about to say that,  _no, Niall I’m not_ , before thinking it over and realising that maybe he is.

He goes pale and opens his mouth like he’s about to say something but nothing comes out. He clamps it shut again and looks at Niall, startled. “I am.”

~~~

When he goes to the café there’s a long queue almost till the door of the place. Harry sighs and looks around feeling like some kind of déjà vu. He was here last month worried that maybe Zayn would think horrible things about him. He keeps in his day-dream until Zayn clears his throat and Harry looks at him, spooked. Then around and realises that they’re both alone.

They both smile at the same time and Harry hurries towards the front of the café.

“Hi.” After Harry’s conversation with Niall he thinks that he might’ve gone through all kinds of red there is in the world, so he must be blushing beet red at this point.

Zayn smiles and pokes Harry’s cheek where his dimple is hiding, “Hey.”

Harry’s trying not to, but when he smiles making Zayn’s finger sink into his dimple, he blushes more.

“So, what can I get you?” Zayn takes his hand away and Harry wishes he would keep it there.

Trying not to pout he orders the same drink he asks for every day. No drink for Louis tonight, he’s in a date in a fancy place with Liam and Hercules is nowhere to be seen. Zayn nods and turns around to do Harry’s drink.

It doesn’t take him a lot of time to turn around and give him his drink, but when he does his expression is changed drastically. He looks worried and a little bit pained. Harry starts to get nervous instantly.

“D’ you want to- to go to the back? For the cake thing?” He stops and looks up and Harry and he doesn’t know what Zayn sees in his eyes but he starts backing out “No, I mean, you don’t have to. You told me to, so I got the stuff and-”

Harry’s jumping over the counter before he even registers what he’s doing. Zayn opens his mouth and then smiles, relieved and a little bit embarrassed.

“Sorry, you just looked so serious and kind of angry when you came in that I thought you were mad at me.”

“What? No! I just- I had a conversation with Niall and… Well… ” He trails off and Zayn nods making an understanding sound.

“I got the ingredients.”

“Lead the way.”

Zayn smiles and they both walk towards the back of the café. Harry’s never been here before, despite the fact that he spends most of his days at the place. He’s a little bit thrilled to be back here though.

There’s a big table with flour all over it and three ovens along with a cooler and tons of sacks all over the floor. The walls are littered with shelves and there are no windows, so a big fluorescent light is lighting the place.

“It’s a little bit messy, sorry. But Alexa never cleans when she has to.”

Harry waves him off and moves towards the table. He turns around and looks at Zayn expectantly raising his eyebrows and all. Zayn chuckles and gestures to the chair in the corner.

“Get yourself comfortable. I have to close the café first.” Harry nods and Zayn leaves.

He looks around and then lands his eyes in his mug. Along the way and tired of his complaints about the tons of paper cups Zayn was wasting in him due to the lattes, he requested Harry to bring him one of his mugs and Harry complied happily. It earned him a lot of teasing from Louis’ side but it was worth it.

He takes the mug in his hands and sips a bit of his drink. Zayn comes back and Harry puts the mug in the table. Zayn takes it and opens one of the drawers in the table putting it in it. He turns around and looks at Harry.

Something weird happens.

The white noise is back and when Harry blinks and looks around he can’t find any bug. The place is spotless, save from the flour in the table. He frowns and looks around again doing a double-take.

It’s starting to get louder now, kind of like it’s screaming at him. He tries to cover his ears but is fruitless. Zayn gets closer to him, concern filling his expression. He touches Harry’s arm and then his bare neck before Harry flinches away from him. Looking at Zayn with wide and scared eyes. The thought stays in Harry’s mind.

_Bite him, right in the neck. Yeah, there._

Harry’s gasping and the concern in Zayn’s dark eyes grows. “What? What is it?”

Harry shakes his head and tries to turn around and maybe leave, when the lights flicker and the ground starts moving. It starts slowly before turning into a proper earthquake. They both look at each other before reaching out and grasping the other’s limbs. Harry’s crying steadily now and Zayn doesn’t looks much better.

They let go of the other and Harry wraps his arms around himself, curling into the table and wishing that Louis was there. It’s not until the movements stop that he doesn’t realise that Zayn’s bare arm is no touching his. Instead, there’s some kind of fur and then he hears a buffing sound.

“Zayn?”

The buffing happens again, but this time is stronger and louder and it sound strangled, kind of pained. Like an animal. Harry starts shaking all over and he stands up. Backing away from the sound.

“Zayn where are you?” He looks around and curses when the only thing he can see is darkness. He fishes his phone out of his pocket and the screen lights up, the signal is out and the light is blinding his eyes. He squints and pushes the light towards the sound, regretting his decision a bit later.

There’s a big, dangerous and  _real_  tiger in the place that Zayn used to be. Before he can start panicking about it he strains his ears and tries to hear clearer, realising that in his state he had been blocking out almost every sound from his mind.

 _Fuck my body hurts. Why is Harry looking at me like that?_  Harry opens his mouth in shock.

The tiger in front of him is Zayn.

~~~

It’s not easy to break it through to Zayn, especially because when he tries to speak all it comes out is a roar. He looks startled and looks around when he finds nothing he looks at Harry in panic with wide grey eyes.

It’s all jumbled and frantic thoughts when he enters Zayn’s mind.

“Hey, it-it’s fine. We’ll, um, we’ll work it out.” Harry doesn’t sound too sure but Zayn seems to be a little bit relieved by this. He nods and tries to speak but the roar goes again and he looks at Harry worryingly. “Just think it,” Harry answers with a shrug. Zayn nods.

It’s hard to hear something clear in Zayn’s mind but after a few tries he manages to take something out. “What do I do now?” Harry sighs and sits down next to the big cat. Somehow knowing that it’s Zayn makes Harry relax around the animal. Zayn looks at him expectantly with those grey eyes and Harry feels studied. Louis’ his brother though, so he survives.

“I don’t know, I thought you didn’t have powers.” The tiger stands up and starts walking all over the place.

Harry has to strain to hear what Zayn is trying to tell him. It’s hard because there are a lot of muddled thoughts and Zayn is not really concentrating in what he’s thinking.

Sometimes he forgets that not everybody has a psychic brother who scolds you about thinking jumbled and not being able to hear clearly what you’re thinking. With the animals is different, they know that Harry can hear them so they project their thoughts to him in a more organized way. Especially because that’s how they all communicate with each other. Harry felt so special when he learned that. He felt like a part of a family, well, a part of a family that wanted him and loved him.

He shakes himself from his daydream when the lights start blinking alive again. Zayn is nowhere to be seen, but his thoughts are loud and still confusing to Harry, some of them are about how much it really hurts. He stands up quickly and goes around the table.

“Fuck. Shit. This hurts. Ow, my back.” But Harry didn’t hear that in his mind. Zayn is speaking again and when Harry sees him he’s sprawled in the floor limbs stretched and some patches of orange fur are still covering his limbs.

“Are you okay? No, wait that was really stupid um- what-what can I do?” Zayn cringes and then he slumps in the floor, he opens his eyes and flashes Harry a weak smile.

“’M fine now,” he yawns, “thank you.” He’s asleep before Harry can even blink.

 

***

 

When Louis enters his flat he doesn’t expect what he sees.

There’s Harry in the couch, which, yeah, that’s normal. But there’s a fucking  _lion_  beside him, snoring. What the actual  _fuck_. He freezes in the doorway and opens his mouth about to scream, thinks better of it and screams in Harry’s head instead.

 _WHAT THE HELL HARRY_.

Harry jostles from his sleep and jostles the lion as well. Louis facepalms at himself with the wall.  _Good one Tommo_.

“What? What’s going on?” Harry’s voice is rough, like he’s been sleeping for more than a couple of hours. Louis shushes him and looks at the lion with panic in his eyes.

It is then that Harry realises that there’s a lion nest to him as well. Which, huh. Weird. He blinks a couple of times before smiling and  _petting_  the big cat, like it’s an old friend.

“Are you  _insane_?” Louis narrows his eyes at Harry’s hand, “that  _thing_  can eat your hand off in a matter of seconds.” He tried to keep his voice as low as possible but he knows he ended up squealing the end of the sentence. There is a  _lion_  in his living room, he can squeal all he wants.

Harry frowns and scowls at Louis, “He wouldn’t hurt me.”

Louis sighs, sometimes he forgets that his little brother is too naïve for this world. “It’s a lion, Harry. And it’s probably hungry.”

Harry looks the beast in front of him and starts shaking it. Louis’ about to run out of the room, leave Harry there to be eaten, but he hears Harry saying something that stops him in his tracks. “Hey, Zee. Lou’s here.”

Louis’ still in the doorway and his mouth opens in shock. He looks at Harry and he can hear him now.  _It’s Zayn, we discovered he could change his shape a while back, don’t worry_. Louis sighs in relief and tumbles inside, closing the door behind him. “That’s what you get for going away for three days and not telling me. Could’ve called or something, don’t you think?”

Louis blushes, “Sorry. Liam and I got a little bit carried away.”

“Ew, I don’t need to know all that.”

“Not in that way! Jesus, we just, we were in his car and we drove and drove and the next thing we knew it was too late and we were too far up north, so we stayed there and then we came back.”

Harry lifts and eyebrow, “So, no sex.” Louis blushes again. Harry seems like he’s enjoying flustering Louis a bit too much for it to be comfortable.

“Nope.”

“You, Louis, my brother, didn’t have sex with Liam, your boyfriend, for three days?” Louis nods, he’s starting to get a little bit confused. “This is the weirdest week.”

“Why do you say that?” Harry looks pointedly at him, like he missed the point.

“Do you want me to repeat myself?”

Louis makes an exasperated sound, “No, but I still don’t ge- Oh.”

“Exactly.”

Louis starts heaving, he hurries to the couch sitting next to Zayn, who is lion-shaped still and fast asleep. “Oh my god.” Harry still looks amused until Louis goes pale and brings his hands to his face, crying.

“Hey, hey. No, shh. What is it? Lou, babe, don’t cry. What happened?” He’s surrounded by Harry’s arms and he starts shaking.  Then he starts sobbing.

“I-I can’t. I’m just- I.” He hiccups and hides his face in Harry’s neck. This is too much for him.

“What is it? Is this about Liam? I was just- I was taking the piss, Lou I didn’t mean it I’m-” Harry sounds like he’s about to cry himself and Louis removes his face from Harry’s neck, shaking his head.

“No, n-no. I-I mean, yes i-it’s about Liam, b-but it’s not your fa-fault. Well it-it is, but I really.” He stops rambling and takes a breath, he’s sobbing far was too much to talk properly. Harry’s still looking concerned but he’s much more relaxed now. Louis brings his hands to his lap and he looks at them. “I- I think I’m in love with him.”

~~~

Confessing that he’s in love with Liam makes him realise that it is much more real than he expected. He almost starts crying again but he composes himself and tries to stay calm. For the sake of his brother.

He and Harry talk about it. Louis notices how he stares longingly at Zayn, who is still on the couch and he asks about him. Harry blushes and tells him, mentally, that he’s in love with Zayn as well. They both end up grinning and giggling like maniacs because they both never thought that they both would end up being in love at the same time. Louis never thought he would end up falling in love, but here he is.

“So, Zayn changes shape,” he knows he’s trying to soften the mood, he did admit that he was in love but that doesn’t mean he’s going to speak about it all day.

Harry notices and smiles softly, “Yeah, the day of the earthquake.”

Louis frowns at looks at him, “What? Are you serious? Where were you two?”

“We were at the back of the bakery. Remember that he told me that he could give me some advice in how to properly make a cake?” Louis nods, “we were there for that but the earthquake happened and well, when I saw him he was tiger shaped.”

“Just like that? No warnings?” Harry shakes his head and Louis looks at Zayn’s still sleeping form in the couch. “So he didn’t know either” Louis whispers.

“No, he didn’t. We were both really scared because we didn’t know what to do.”

“How did he change back then? I suppose he did.” Harry nods.

“He, well, I didn’t know why, back then, but when the lights came back on he was lying on the floor saying that everything was hurting him and when I checked he was human-shaped.”

“Oh, but now you two know how to do that right?” Harry nodded and blushed and looked at the floor.

“Yeah he has been staying with me for the past three days.” Louis bites his lip.

“Were you scared that I wouldn’t come back?” Harry shakes his head.

“Nope, I still could feel your mind alive so I didn’t worry too much.” Louis pulls his knees into his chest, resting his head on top of them.

“I’m really sorry. I don’t know what happened.” He hides his face with his arms.

“Hey no, it’s okay Lou. You have your life. Also, you were with Liam, who, by the way called yesterday to tell me not to worry.” Louis lifts his head.

“Liam has your number?”

“Yep, we exchanged numbers once I knew you were getting serious with him.”

Before Louis has the chance to say something, a yawn comes from the couch and then a little roar. He turns around and there’s the lion, now awake but still lying in the couch.

“Hey Z, how did you sleep?”

 _I’m good. A little bit tired still_. Louis startles and looks at Harry with wide eyes. He’s about to answer him when he notices Louis’ face.

“You okay?”

“I can hear him.”

 _What?_  “What?”

“In- in my head.” He points at his head for more emphasis.

“Oh, suppose this is the bonding actually working.”

“Yeah I guess so.”

 _So I can’t speak with Harry about you? Mentally? That sucks_. Harry and Louis laugh, and the lion buffs.

“Hey, I forgot to ask,” Francis comes out of the hall and crawls into Louis lap, “did you bond with Liam?”

“That’s the reason that we met.”

“Huh?”

“We met at Sainsbury’s.” Louis starts petting Francis, “He was going to buy some soup and I was getting the eggs. He saw me and thought that I was rather fit. I turned around about to slap him when I realised that he had  _thought_  that,” he chuckles remembering Liam’s face. “I thought towards him that he was rather fit too and I remember him blushing. You know the rest.” Louis shrugs, “We bonded without knowing each other. I think my powers are misbehaving a little bit.”

The room stays silent for a bit before Zayn stretches in his spot and then he changes shape, just like that. He’s still wearing his clothes.

“That’s lovely.” He says. His voice is scratchy and Louis sees Harry blushing, he smirks.

“Well, what about you?”

“Huh?”

“Your changing thing.”

“Ah. I don’t know. I woke up here and the next thing I knew Harry had brought Ms Herriot, you know the shape-shifter from the supermarket?” Louis nods and Zayn continues. “He gave me some pointers and then I wasn’t scared anymore.”

“It’s weird. We always thought you were an unpowered.” Harry elbows him in the ribs and Louis scurries away from him. Zayn chuckles.

“Haz, it’s okay. I thought so too, but apparently I’m not.” Louis pouts.

“You have a cool power though. Can you decide what animal are you turning to?” Zayn nods and sits up. He’s all rustled up and there are some patches of golden fur in his hands still.

“Yeah, can only turn into cats though.”

“That’s still cool.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Louis’ phone rings and he answers immediately. “Li, hey.” Harry snorts next to him and Zayn smiles amused. It probably came out softer than he intended.

“Hey, Lou, can you, um, can you come over?” He sounds worried and, nervous?

“Yeah, of course.”

“My place.”

“Okay.”

“See you.” Liam hangs up. Louis frowns at his phone.

“What happened?” Zayn asks. Francis is now in his lap and Harry is cooing softly at the two of them.

“Trouble in paradise?” Harry asks and Louis shrugs and shakes his head.

“I don’t know. Better leave and figure it out.” He looks at him worriedly but Harry smiles. Louis nods, stands up and leaves.

“How rude. Didn’t even say goodbye.” Zayn and Harry laugh.

 

***

 

Now that Zayn knows that he can switch forms there’s no stopping him. Also, he realised that his dreams made a lot more sense. He spoke with Harry about it, the second night. Harry told him in exchange his story of how he discovered he could read the animals’ minds.

It was fairly similar, he had dreams where he spoke with animals and they answered.

One night, his mum found him speaking with a cat, it was late and he was still asleep. He had been sleep-walking. Harry was unstoppable after that. Petting every single animal and speaking with them. His mum got him a cat three months afterwards and he stuck with them, now he has Francis.

Zayn finds himself looking at Harry while he speaks more often than not. He considers thinking further into it. But realises that it’s not really necessary. He knew since that first time that Harry walked into the café that he was gone for the boy. And the way Harry looks at him, it might be mutual.

~~~

They’re in Harry’s kitchen, Zayn’s sitting in the countertop and Harry’s baking the cake with the pointers that Zayn gives him. Zayn’s kicking his legs back and forth, sometimes hitting Harry’s bum whenever he kicks in front of him. After the sixth time Harry hits his leg with a spatula.

“Stop distracting me.” He chastises.

Harry’s phone starts ringing and he turns around, Zayn stretches his arms and takes the bowl from him, mixing the batter for him. Harry leaves the kitchen and answers his phone in his room, if the sound of a door shutting closed is any indication.

Zayn mixes the batter until is completely smooth and he pours it in the tin. Thinking that they need to do this again because Harry missed the consistency of the batter, and that cannot happen. He puts the tin in the oven and checks the time. Half an hour. He sits in the countertop again and after five minutes Harry comes into the kitchen smiling widely, dimples in full force. Zayn lifts an eyebrow in question.

“Liam told Louis he’s in love with him! And now they’re going to Liam’s parent’s house to meet them!” Zayn cheers and they both hug each other.

Zayn pulls back earlier than he would’ve liked, putting his arms in Harry’s neck. “Louis feels the same way, right?” Harry nods enthusiastically and they both smile. Harry’s hands are still in his waist.

This is it. Fuck. Zayn’s going to kiss him. Before he can lean in, Harry is joining their lips together. He makes a sound of surprise before returning the pressure and kissing back with all he has, tightening his hold in Harry’s shoulders.

Zayn has kissed a rather big number of people in his life, but not even once it felt this right, this good. Harry’s lips are the right amount of plush and he isn’t pushing his tongue in Zayn’s mouth like it has happened multiple times. In fact, it feels like he’s being shy about it. It takes Zayn five seconds to realise that Harry wants him to dominate the kiss, and well, Zayn’s pretty happy to oblige.

He takes Harry’s jaw in his hands and pries it open, pushing his tongue softly in his mouth, Harry’s meeting his in the middle.

He’s taller than Harry while he sits in the countertop and he takes that to his advantage. Sitting up straighter and tangling his hands in Harry’s curls, pulling slightly. Harry makes a soft noise and Zayn does it again, and again, making Harry whine softly and tighten his grip in Zayn’s waist.

It doesn’t feel like too much time while they’re trapped into each other, but when the oven beeps announcing that the cake is ready, both of them spring apart.

Harry turns around and takes the oven mitt, pulling the oven’s door open and letting the sweet smell of orange take over. He takes the tin out and puts it upside down in the plate they had ready for the cake. He pats it a few times and lets it there. Then he rests his head in the cupboard.

Zayn slides from the countertop and walks towards Harry, wrapping his arms around his waist and kissing his shoulder.

Harry’s tense though. And Zayn frowns. “You okay?” He feels, more than hears, Harry sigh and he turns around, facing Zayn.

“I have to tell you something.” Zayn worries his lip in his mouth, nodding.

“Anything.”

Harry sighs and looks at the floor, wrapping his arms around himself. He stays like that, just contemplating, and then he lifts his head. His eyes are greener and they look shiny. He’s blushing and his lips are bitten red, courtesy of Zayn. “I’m in love with you.”

~~~

It’s not like he doesn’t expect it. He has known it for a while, Louis mixed signals helping him realise it too. And it’s not that Louis goes around spilling secrets from his brother, but he told Zayn, in a very cryptic way, to tell Harry that he had feelings for him. Because apparently he needs a push every time he meets someone he likes. Zayn had agreed, and he was ready, just waiting for a good opportunity. When the shape-shifting incident happened.

So he’s not scared or anything, it’s just a bit of a shock. He doesn’t understand why he changes shape when Harry’s words sink in. Harry giggles above him. Picking him up. He looks a bit worried but relieved that Zayn didn’t went away. He’s biting his lip again and Zayn grunts.

As much as one can grunt while cat-shaped, anyway.

 _This sucks_. It takes a bit for Harry to giggle again, principally because Zayn can’t really concentrate and shoot his thoughts towards Harry like he taught him. He thinks about his arms, his legs, his face and not having a tail and then next thing he knows, he and Harry are falling into the floor. Because Zayn’s life might be a rom-com.

They both start laughing, Zayn burying his face in Harry’s chest, trying to hide his blush.

“Hey.” Harry’s voice is soft and fond. Zayn feels himself pushing his smile in Harry chest.

“Hm?”

“Look at me.” Zayn makes a displeased sound and Harry brings one of his hands to Zayn’s dark strands, pulling slightly. Zayn sighs and lifts his head, looking at Harry’s eyes directly. Harry pulls again.

Zayn gets the hint and gets closer. Before they kiss again though, he whispers “I’m in love with you too.”

 

***

 

Having a shape-shifter as a boyfriend is great at most times. Like for scaring Louis and cuddling. But sometimes Harry wonders if that fact would be greater if Zayn’s whole torso wasn’t draped over him.

“Zee, please wake up, I can’t breathe.” He shakes the jaguar and fails to wake him up. He hears a grunting noise and he knows what he has to do to get rid of the jaguar but he hopes this time Zayn will listen.

Harry shakes him again, waiting, but the animal stays in place. Harry sighs, as much as he can with a jaguar in top of him.

 _LOUIS_.

One minute after Louis pops his head in Harry and Zayn’s bedroom “hm?”

“Help me.” Louis chuckles and he looks like he’s considering leaving Harry and Zayn like that, before shaking his head and entering the bedroom, dating Liam has changed him for good. He puts his hands around Zayn’s head and Harry holds Zayn’s torso as much as he can. “Li!” Liam comes in moments later and looks at the three of them. He chuckles as well but doesn’t hesitate to hold Zayn’s back legs.

Louis closes his eyes in concentration and the next thing they know Zayn is trying to get away. He kicks Liam, to no avail, Liam has super-strength. Zayn wiggles for a bit before he calms down, slumping and going boneless. Liam and Louis take that as a cue to leave.

Zayn changes shape and Harry gulps some air, grateful.

“’M sorry” Harry sighs.

“We need to learn how to make you stay human all night.”

“You know how.” Harry frowns.

“There has to be another way.”

“I don’t think so, love.” Harry pouts.

“You know I can’t fall asleep without you here with me.” There’s a touch of a whine in Harry’s voice

Zayn chuckles “Yeah, but I only wake up like this whenever the urge hits and I don’t comply. And it’s not like I get it every day.”

“Still.” Now Harry is whining.

“I don’t go all night, you know that right? You can wait a few hours for me.” Zayn shifts in the bed and settles next to Harry burying his face in his neck and suckling slightly.

Harry whines again, in pleasure and displeasure. “Fine.”

The next thing he knows, Zayn’s gone and there’s a black cat next to him, purring and burrowing closer. Harry brings him to his chest and smiles.

Having a shape-shifter boyfriend is the best thing ever.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you folks enjoyed it!


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